1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical fastener applying apparatus and, more particularly, to a replaceable cartridge assembly configured for use with a surgical fastener applying apparatus for clamping, stapling, and cutting tissue.
2. Background of Related Art
Surgical fastener applying apparatus, wherein tissue is first grasped or clamped between opposing jaw structures and then joined by means of surgical fasteners, are well known. In some such apparatus, a knife is provided to cut tissue that has been joined by the fasteners. The fasteners are typically in the form of surgical staples, although other surgical fasteners may also be utilized, such as, for example, clips or two part polymeric surgical fasteners.
Surgical fastener applying apparatus, as mentioned above, typically include two opposed jaw structures that are used to capture or clamp tissue therebetween. Typically, one of the jaw structures carries a cartridge assembly which houses a plurality of staples arranged in at least two lateral rows, while the other jaw structure includes an anvil which defines a surface for forming the staple legs as the staples are driven from the cartridge assembly. Where two part fasteners are used, the jaw structure which includes the anvil carries a mating part of the two part fastener, e.g. the receiver. Generally, the staple formation process is affected by the interaction between one or more longitudinally moving camming members and a series of individual staple pushers. As the camming members travel longitudinally through the cartridge assembly, the individual staple pushers are biased upwardly into a backspan of the staples supported within the cartridge assembly to sequentially eject the staples from the cartridge. Where a knife is provided, the knife follows the camming members and travels between the staple rows to cut tissue between the rows of formed staples.
In order to perform multiple clamping, stapling, and cutting operations on a single patient, surgical fastener applying apparatus have been developed that include replaceable cartridge assemblies. As such, after a first operation, the used cartridge assembly is replaced with a new cartridge assembly for a subsequent operation. As can be appreciated, it would be desirable to incorporate the knife into the replaceable cartridge assembly such that a new, sharpened knife is provided for each operation.